Bhubaneswar: The political row over Kotia Panchayat has intensified, with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) announcing that a party delegation will visit the disputed border region Friday to protest against reported election-related activities undertaken by Andhra Pradesh in villages claimed by Odisha.
The visit has been planned at the direction of BJD president and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who has already written to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking his intervention in the matter. According to BJD sources Thursday, the proposed visit assumes significance in view of the potential implications of the reported activities for Odisha’s territorial integrity and administrative authority.
The delegation will assess the ground situation, interact with local residents and understand the concerns of people living in the affected villages. Patnaik has questioned the BJP-led state government over its failure to fulfil its promises concerning the long-standing Kotia issue.
The BJD president recalled the BJP’s promise that a “Double Engine Government” would resolve the Kotia dispute once and for all, safeguard Odisha’s territorial integrity and restore Odia Swabhiman. The latest development has brought renewed political attention to the sensitive border issue, with the BJD demanding effective measures to protect the interests of Odisha and its people in the region.
During the visit, the BJD delegation will meet local residents, assess the prevailing situation and gather first-hand information about the reported election-related activities. The team will document the concerns of the affected population and prepare a detailed report for submission to Naveen Patnaik.
The report will be taken up by the party leadership for further deliberation and appropriate action. The delegation will include former MP Jhina Hikaka, MLA Manohar Randhari, former ministers Jagannath Saraka, Rabi Narayan Nanda, Pradeep Majhi and Ramesh Majhi, along with BJD Senior General Secretary and National Spokesperson Bhrugu Baxipatra, among others.
The BJD has maintained that the interests of the people of Ko tia and the territorial integrity of the state must be protected through appropriate and effective measures. The party has stressed that the concerns of local residents deserve serious attention and called upon the state government to take all necessary steps to safeguard the state’s interests.
Through the proposed visit, the BJD aims to ascertain the facts on the ground, hear directly from the affected people and place its findings before the party leadership for further deliberation and action.
The Kotia issue remains a politically sensitive matter, with the latest development putting the spotlight on the state government’s response to reported activities by AP in the border villages and its commitment to protecting the state’s territorial interests.
